Sergei Prokofiev’s 1936 Peter and the Wolf is a 25- minute symphony for children with narration. Theatre Rusticle’s version transforms that simple material into a provocative 90-minute dance-theatre extravaganza.

Theatre Rusticle is one of the most imaginative companies in Canada. The mandate of artistic director Allyson McMackon is devised theatre, that is, building a production from scratch. This is the company’s first foray with live music.

The joy of a Theatre Rusticle performance is the surprising leaps of imagination. For each part of the Prokofiev story, the company has created a scene involving text and movement. They’ve also added in a whole raft of extra explorations.

In every McMackon production, important questions that arise out of the studio devising work become subtext. This production does run deep, but there is humour as well.

The richness of the text and movement brings out depth in the music. You listen with new ears.